the new year!

Warning! This blog is bound to be long considering Dec. was the last time I updated! I am WAY behind.....so where to begin.....Christmas was wonderful! We were up in Ks for a couple of weeks and it was wonderful to get to see my family...I miss them so much!!! The girls weren't really to "interested" in presents...They ripped a little of the paper and then moved on....although they love all their new toys and clothes....We came back to Florida and Jan 24th the girls celebrated their first birthday....I made a "barbie" cake...the one where you stick a doll in the middle...it was pretty cool but lots of work...next year I am buying the mold to do it! I hope to start the barbie cake as a tradition...our mom always made our cakes and I hope to do the same for my girls. They had a lot of fun playing in the cake. I stripped em down and let them have fun! It was a lot of fun...sometimes it seems like yesterday I was going in to have them and now they are 13 months! Josh and I celebrated our One Year Anniversary Jan. 27th.....what a long road! I hope there are many more ahead of us...we enjoyed a nice night out, going to dinner and then the movies....it was also on our one year that we received some really big news...NO we are not adding to the family (just yet).....the army decided they needed him back to go to Iraq. Josh had originally joined the army to be deployed only to get denied twice....we never thought he would get called back because of his medical condition (ulcerative colitis). So he was a little excited to be given the chance to go again. I had very mixed feelings....of course

I didn't want him being gone for so long and being in danger but I was excited for him because he had wanted it for so long...it was once in a lifetime chance to follow a dream and I couldn't be the reason he was held back....So Feb. 22 we dropped Josh of at Ft. Benning Ga and Feb 26 the doc gave him the option.....stay or go....we had talked about it before and decided if they gave him the option he was going....so he now is training to go to Iraq. I drove the 6 1/2 hours twice to spend the weekend with him in GA and then he was supposed to be moved to Mississsippi where we probably would not be allowed to see him....last minute the army (NO WAY) changed their minds and sent them (28 guys) to Starke, Florida....only 170 miles away from where we live!!! I was pretty excited! I followed their bus down to Florida from GA and spent the weekend with him. I got to know all of the guys and they are so nice. It makes me feels better knowing that they are close and will look out for eachother. They decided I am their new mascot! LOL....So here we are back in present time....I am up here at Camp Blanding for this weekend again. Next weekend all of us (his family and the girls) will be coming up again....will go up one more weekend after that and then March 30 he should be going to Mississippi for 3 or 4 days, then to Ft. Bliss Texas and then probably to Iraq...of course nothing in set in stone but thats what we know so far...we are hoping since he is deploying with a National Guard unit his deployment will only be 10 months or so...much better than 15! we'll keep our fingers crossed....well we are going to get something to eat...please keep us and especially Josh in your prayers! LOVE!!!! P.S. I hopefullly will be back in Ks for a couple of months over the summer....I can't wait!!!

It's obviously been a while since I've "blogged"! Not really too much to write though. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We went over to Josh's sisters house. Had a BIG lunch/dinner......I helped cook and by the time it was ready to eat I didn't even really feel like eating...it was lots of work! LOL! The girls are doing great. Getting BIG of course. Makenna has started to "sing"....anytime music comes on she starts "dancing" and she'll sing until the song is over. She really loves singing to this little stuffed animal we have that plays Jesus Loves You. It's so funny. They are both EVERYWHERE! They're not actually walking yet but I'm afraid it won't be long. We are really excited to be going home for Christmas. We plan on leaving around the 18th or 19th and then staying till probably the 2nd...the dates aren't set in stone yet but thats what we are hoping for. Well, I suppose I best get to bed. I hope all is well and hope to see everyone at Christmas. Take care and Happy Holidays! LOVE!!

Trick or Treat!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween! We didn't really do a whole lot considering the girls aren't hold enough really go "trick or treating". We figured people would probably catch onto the fact that the we (the parents) would be eating the candy since the girls don't aren't quite old enough! :) Although the thought did cross my mind! I love chocolate! :) We did take the girls to the nursing home that my in laws give a Sunday sermon at. All of the older people loved them!

Makenna is going thru a "stranger" phase and if someone she doesn't know talks to her she screams bloody murder, so I felt bad when she started crying! We weren't really for sure what to call their "costumes". Christa had gotten them onesies that said "I love my mummy" and Halloween headbands before we left Ks, and I also got them little "tulle" glittery skirts. So I guess they were Halloween Princesses! :) They were cute. I just wanted to post a few pics for everyone to see. I have more on myspace and facebook. Oh! And I also dressed up as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Whenever I tell people I'm from Ks down here they either mention Dorothy/Toto or say the famous line "you're not in Ks anymore". So I thought it was fitting. I told my sis maybe if I click my heels I'll come back home! (the homesickness is setting in finally) I hope all is well! Everyone take care! Love! (that is Jonathan with Makenna in the pic on the right and Joslen on the left)